Sacha Baron Cohen swaps £100k Banksy for Borat moustache

Sacha Baron Cohen, the man behind Kazakh journalist Borat, has struck a deal to secure a Bansky painting in exchange for his alter ego’s moustache.

Thumbs up for Borat creator Sasha Baron-Cohen as he secures a Bansky Painting worth £100,000. (Borat 2008) Borat Sasha Baron-Cohen as Borat In Cannes. These images are for publicity purposes only. For further information please contact James Selman at Freud PR on 020 7291 6427.

The comedian will hand over one of the fuzzy moustaches used whilst filming Borat as Bansky gives a painting of a sleeping Thomas the Tank Engine with graffiti, estimated to be worth more than £100,000.The pair are reported to be huge fans of each others’ work.Cohen, whose other famous characters include Bruno and Ali G, will hang the painting in his LA home alongside other works by Bansky while the artist will store Borat’s moustache in a Perspex box to keep it safe.The swap must seem like a steal to Cohen as stars such as Kate Moss and Angelina Jolie have previously paid £80,000 and £120,000 respectively for paintings by the street artist.

However, the exchange is a ‘no-brainer – for both sides’, according to a Sun source.Cohen is one of only a few people who know the artist’s real identity and the pair apparently made the deal at a recent meeting.Although famous worldwide, Bansky’s identity is still a secret – though unconfirmed reports suggest he is from Bristol and his name is Robin Gunningham.It was announced last month that the street artist has been nominated for an Oscar for his documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop.